A court postponed on Monday the trial of Egypt’s former interior minister over the killing of protesters until next week so that he will be tried alongside ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
The ruling followed a weekend of clashes involving protesters demanding swifter reforms and faster prosecution of Mubarak and his officials after February’s revolution. Demonstrators clashed with stone-throwing men and scuffled with soldiers who blocked a march.
Many Egyptians believe the army is reluctant to speed up the trial of Mubarak, its former commander-in-chief, and say it wants to prevent his public humiliation. They also accuse the army of delaying other reforms.
Judge Adel Abdel-Salam ordered the trial of Habib al-Adli be postponed until Aug. 3 so it was “joined with the case related to the trial of the former President Hosni Mubarak”, adding that the evidence and charges were the same. Six others involved in the Adli case will stand trial on the same day.
Some protesters at the court on the outskirts of Cairo hurled stones at the police van taking Adli from the court.
“Why did they postpone the trial today? We are tired of this never-ending postponement. The son of my brother died in the revolution; who will give us our rights … if the court keeps postponing trials of those who killed him?” asked Mohamed Abdou, who was outside the court.
Mubarak and his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, have been charged in connection with the killing of demonstrators. More than 840 died in the 18-day uprising that ousted the president on Feb. 11.
Mubarak, 83, has been in hospital since April, when he was first questioned. Judicial and security sources told Reuters this month his trial might take place in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where he is in hospital, and not in Cairo.
His two sons are being held in a Cairo prison.
